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Revised Local Limits Rule

Environmental Services conducted a public rulemaking in spring 2016 to revise certain local pollutant limits established in ENB-4.03 that apply to industrial users of the public sewer system.

ENB-4.03 is the bureau's Sanitary Discharge and Pretreatment Program Administrative Rules. No comments were submitted during the 30-day comment period, and a hearing was not requested. The final rule took effect on June 23, 2016, and BES will begin incorporating the local limits changes into approximately 115 industrial wastewater discharge permits in Summer 2016.

The final rule is identical to what Environmental Services proposed during the public comment period. The revised local limits for chromium, copper, and non-polar oil and grease are more stringent than the limits they replaced, and all other local pollutant limits remain the same. The finalized changes ensure that concentrations of pollutants that industries discharge into the public sewer system will not endanger public health, affect water quality, damage the public sewer system, or prevent biosolids recycling.

Decreasing limits for chromium, copper, and non-polar oil and grease should not have a significant impact on industries. Pollutant removal technologies that Portland industries currently use are adequate to comply with the new limits. In addition, existing analytical data from industrial discharges shows that Portland industrial dischargers already consistently meet the new limits.

For more information or questions about this rule, please contact Dan Parnell at 503-823-7568.